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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26263279">Neon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowstickia/pseuds/Glowstickia'>Glowstickia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Echoes of You [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fill, Psychic Abilities, psyker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:34:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26263279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowstickia/pseuds/Glowstickia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Echo couldn't sleep. It's well past midnight and even still she couldn't help but be drawn to the heart of Diamond City.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Valentine/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Echoes of You [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Neon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Once again hit up the <a href="https://falloutglow.tumblr.com/post/626392083072221184/64-sensory-prompts">sensory prompts list</a>. What can I say? It's a good list.</p><p>22. Neon lights at 1:30am</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echo stuffed her hands in her jacket’s pockets as she walked the streets of Diamond City. Dogmeat trotted ahead, tail wagging as he enjoyed the cold night air. Echo smiled to herself. Well, at least one of them was having a good night.</p><p>The guards in their repurposed umpire uniforms made comments as she passed them on their rounds. The sunglasses typically gave away who she was… ‘Course it didn’t keep them from wondering <em> aloud </em> why the hell someone would wear a pair this time of night. She rolled her eyes and walked on. Her sight was <em> fine </em>. That’s when she realized she didn’t hear the panting of her ever so faithful canine companion.</p><p>Dogmeat had...left. </p><p>She searched the intersection for the German Shepard and sighed. He ditched her. <em> Again.</em> She looked up at the street signs and grimaced. Didn’t she already pass this? Shit. She recognized it but-. Her sense of direction... still needed work.</p><p>Echo pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her sunglasses up in the process. She had ‘lived’ here for <em> how </em> long? Ugh. The vague deja vu in her gut didn’t help matters either. Another frustrated sigh escaped her lips as fog rose from her mouth. A quick tug, she pulled her layers closer and continued on.</p><p>At this point the midnight walk was turning into an absolute bust. She came outside to clear her head, not make herself miserable. She looked up. A familiar soft pink glow called to her down the alleyway. A smile tugged at her lips.</p><p>Well, at least she knew an excellent detective who knew his way around the city.</p><p>Following the glow, her mind raced. What would she even say? She needed an excuse… Dogmeat! Yeah! He <em> did </em> ditch her <em> again </em>and while trying to find him, she got lost-. She saw the bright glow of the neon heart stare at her. Funny how Nick leaned into the pre-war holiday aesthetics. She stood in front of the sign and sighed. Steam drifted out of her mouth much like the smoke off Nick’s cigarettes.</p><p>Ellie would be sleeping… and even <em> if </em> Nick wasn’t busy going over case notes at this late hour, he <em> could </em> be running a diagnostic or defragging…</p><p>Echo shook her head. She could just...ask one of the DC guards to point the way back. It <em> was </em> their job and they were <em> only </em> making nightly rounds. Hell, she’d seen them begrudgingly walk a few drunks home from the Dugout. She nodded to herself. This...wasn’t super important anyways. Nah. She’d just be back in the morning.</p><p>Echo took a step back, away from the door and gave both it and the neon sign one last look before slipping into the darkness.</p><p>She rounded the corner, hands stuffed in her jacket and- nearly ran into Nick. She stumbled back as Nick grabbed his hat.</p><p>“Um,” she cleared her throat, “didn’t expect to-”</p><p>“Could say the same.” Nick said, as his hand moved to rub the back of his neck. “So, uh, catch any games lately?”</p><p>She stared at him. It clicked. “Oh.” She snorted, “No, uh, not tonight anyways.”</p><p>He smiled a little. “Ah, too bad.” They stood in silence, waiting for the other to say something. Echo felt a sudden chill from the cold breeze. She shuddered and pulled her jacket a bit tighter. Nick stepped to her side. “Goodness,” he said, mostly to himself, “let’s get you out of this cold.”</p><p>Echo hugged herself and nodded slowly. “Sometimes I forget the weather constantly changes.” she admitted as Nick adjusted his coat. Was he about to-.</p><p>“Same here,” he said, slipping out of his trench coat and draping it over her shoulders.</p><p>
  <em> He pulled out his lighter. The lighter had seen better days. Once long ago, it was shiny enough to see one’s reflection. Patina coated the metal, but it hadn’t started to corrode just yet. His metal fingers gingerly and with practiced ease, held the cigarette between his fingers as he flicked on a flame. </em>
</p><p>Echo rolled her shoulders, as she shrugged on the trench coat. She opened her mouth, but words escaped her. Though whatever thoughts that swirled in her head dropped with the heavy weight in her chest. Call it surprise, fear… she wasn’t sure, but that’s what she read on Nick’s face. He told her her eyes didn’t scare him and yet…</p><p>She swallowed.</p><p>Her mouth was dry. The trench coat suddenly felt heavier on her shoulders.</p><p>“Looks like your canine companion left you,” Nick stated, pulling Echo out of her thoughts, “Mind if I walk you home?”</p><p>She chewed her lip as she briefly glanced back. The pink glow was faint. She sighed. “Um, sure.” She smiled a little as she tugged the trench coat over her shoulders. At least it helped keep the chill out. Maybe Ellie was right. She needed a new jacket.</p><p>As they slowly made the walk towards the Dugout Inn, Echo couldn’t shake the storm clouds in her mind. <em> Home… </em> “ <em> Pretty sure I’ve never had one. </em>” she said to herself.</p><p>Nick blinked. “Echo-”</p><p>He was cut off by one of the DC guards whistling at them. “Having a nice walk you two?”</p><p>Echo tugged the coat on her shoulders and raised a brow towards him. “It’d be better if you’d mind your business.”</p><p>Nick straightened and tipped his hat towards the guard. “Evening John.”</p><p>The guard, John, chuckled. “Feisty.” she could hear the grin under the umpire helmet. If she could get away with smacking him… “Keeping her outta trouble Mr. Valentine?”</p><p>“More like the other way around.” Nick joked. Echo snorted. Good gods, the amount of times they had <em> both </em> pulled each other out of trouble was too many to count on her fingers. How long had it been? A month? “In any case,” Echo felt pressure on the middle of her back, “Stay warm Johnny.”</p><p>John chuckled. “Don’t worry ‘bout me detective. The padding ain’t just for show.” He beat his chest a couple times. <em> Thump. Thump. </em> “Keeps me quite toasty.” He adjusted the rifle in his hands and saluted them. “Take care now~.”</p><p>Echo held her tongue. Best not to piss off any of the guards on watch. Last thing she needed was for Nick <em> or </em> Ellie bailing her out. Instead, she rolled her eyes behind the cover of her sunglasses. “Night.”</p><p>John went back to his rounds as Nick guided Echo in the opposite direction. She didn’t relax until John was out of sight and around the bend. She released a looooong breath as steam curled out of her mouth. Like a trail of smoke…</p><p>“Do you get cold?” She asked, not even registering the words tumbling out of her mouth until Nick cleared his throat and the pressure on her back left.</p><p>“A bit.”</p><p>She blinked and turned to him.</p><p>“Don’t mind it.” He said, scratching his chin and avoiding her eyes, “Though my ol’ joints are more likely to lock up…”</p><p>Echo nodded slowly as she chewed her lip in thought. “Do...you have a scarf?”</p><p>His brow furrowed a bit as he eyed her puzzled.</p><p>Echo dragged her index finger down her neck, feeling the nail against her skin. "Your scar, along your neck." She explained. “The scarf would, uh, protect your neck… insulate it when it gets colder.”</p><p>Nick’s eyes seemed to glow a little brighter, but they were in a dark patch of an alley. That and it was getting harder to keep her own eyes open.</p><p>He chuckled a little. “Never heard of it described like that…” His hand went to the opening on his neck.</p><p>She shrugged. “Well, I <em> know </em> you’re not human, but that <em> doesn’t </em> make you any less of a person.”</p><p>Echo raised one hand. “I was wounded. My skin was damaged until it healed.” she flexed her fingers, “Still, ah, hurts a bit of course, but it’ll be fine with time.” She reached up and felt the scar along her cheek that reached up and around her right eye. “You were injured and got fixed up yea? It’s like my scar, unless you… I dunno? Graft?” She frowned and waved her hand, “Anyways, you’ll live with it for the rest of your life.” She grabbed the collar of his trench coat and tugged it back over her shoulders. “So, it’s a scar. Bit more permanent, but it's got a story attached.” She smirked. “Bet cha you won’t guess how I got mine.”</p><p>Nick shook his head as they began walking again. “You’re something, you know that?”</p><p>Echo laughed. “That’s not a guess.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes.</p><p>Sounds of people shouting and laughing and drunken songs of fumbled words cut off whatever he was going to say. Echo sighed. <em> Damn. </em> She turned back to Nick as she took his trench coat off her shoulders.</p><p>“Thank you,” she said, immediately feeling the chill of the cold, night air and regret.</p><p>“You sure-” his hands gingerly grabbed his coat.</p><p>“Yeah, dunno how long you’ll be out Mr. Detective. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna pass out for a few hours once I get back to my room.”</p><p>The coat stayed in his hands as his fingers rubbed the material. He smiled a little and pulled his signature trench coat back on. “Fine, but you better skedaddle.”</p><p>Echo shoved her hands into her jacket for warmth and grinned at him. “Yeah, yeah,” she took a couple steps towards the sounds and stopped. She turned towards him. “Night, Nick.”</p><p>He tipped his hat at her. “Goodnight, Echo.”</p><p>Her lips quivered as she squeezed her arms closer to her body to try and conserve some heat. “See you tomorrow.” She said before running off towards the bright lights and loud sounds of the Dugout Inn.</p><p> Echo dodged the drunken patrons as she dipped inside the Dugout Inn. The chill of the night air clung to her as she passed through the hallway and slipped by the loud, boisterous laughter of Vadim. Scarlet had already gone home for the night and Yefim gave her a silent nod of acknowledgement as she pulled out her key and slipped inside to her room.</p><p>Echo leaned against her door and groaned loudly. She was getting better at slipping under the radar...or at least <em> Vadim’s </em> radar. She pinched the bridge of her nose. On one hand she felt bad for being so avoidant with the bartender, but on the <em> other </em> hand, he was a <em> lot. </em></p><p>
  <em> Boof. </em>
</p><p>She opened her eyes and stared at the German Shepherd lounging on her bed. “Dude,” she pushed off the door and locked it behind her, “you ditched me <em> again! </em>”</p><p>Dogmeat’s tail thumped against the mattress. He boofed again.</p><p>She took off her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes at him. His tongue lolled out of his mouth. “You butt, I was worried about you.” She shook her head. “You sir are unbelievable ya know that?”</p><p>Dogmeat placed his chin on his paws and stared at her while his tail continued to thump happily.</p><p>“You’re lucky you’re adorable.”</p><p>“Woof!”</p><p>Echo rolled her eyes as she took down her hair from its ponytail and wrapped the hair tie to her sunglasses. She placed them on the nightstand and went to work getting ready for bed. She shuddered as she took off her jackets. The downside of the concrete walls and floors meant she’d have to deal with the chill until the summer months. <em> If </em> she stayed that long…</p><p>Pulling on her pjs she frowned a bit. Diamond City was...too crowded for her tastes personally. And good lord if she even stayed, she couldn’t just keep renting her room for forever… She stared at the palms of her hands. The scrapes were healing. She sighed and flopped next to Dogmeat on the bed.</p><p>“I don’t know what to do bud.” She said, staring at the ceiling, her eyes following the cracks, “Do you think we should stay?”</p><p>Dogmeat whined a little.</p><p>“Yeah...there are some good people here.” She turned to Dogmeat, “And...Nick needs us both, yea? You and your nose, and me with-”</p><p>Dogmeat gave a supportive boof. She smiled and rubbed his face.</p><p>“Couldn’t have said it better myself bud.”</p>
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